The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to the construction of an article of footwear and the method for manufacturing footwear in accordance with this construction.
There is an ongoing effort to develop footwear constructions that provide improved comfort at a reduced cost while providing aesthetic appeal. In one conventional construction, a shoe is provided with an upper material that wraps entirely around the foot and a sole that is affixed to the material on the bottom of the shoe in two distinct portions, one located in the heel region and one in the forefoot region. The upper material therefore visibly wraps beneath the shoe in the arch region, providing a unique aesthetic appeal. A leather insole is secured in the upper to integrate the forefoot and heel portions and to provide the sole with a certain level of rigidity and support. This prior art construction is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The prior art shoe 200 includes a wrap-around upper 202 and a two-piece sole 204. The sole 204 includes a heel portion 222 and a forefoot portion 224 that are spaced apart in the arch region to expose the wrap-around upper 202. As shown, the upper 202 includes various pieces of leather that are stitched together to form an envelope that encloses the entire foot. The upper 202 includes a vamp piece 208 that wraps over the forefoot region and is stitched together along a seam 210 extending longitudinally along the approximate center of the bottom the shoe. The upper 202 also includes one or two pieces of material 212 that wrap around the heel region. The heel piece(s) 212 are stitched to the vamp piece 208 along an angled, but near to vertical, seam 214. If two heel pieces are included in the construction, they may be stitched to one another along a seam (not shown) extending longitudinally along the approximate center of the bottom shoe (where it is hidden by the heel portion 222 of the sole 204) and then up along the rear of the shoe (where it is hidden by the backstay 216). The upper 202 also includes an eyestay 218 stitched around the tongue opening 220. A leather insole 226 is fitted within the shoe.
Although providing a desirable aesthetic appearance, this conventional construction suffers from a number of drawbacks. First, this construction requires a large vamp piece that extends entirely around the shoe. The vamp piece must be large enough to extend from one side the bottom center of the shoe, around the top of the shoe and back down to the other side of the bottom center of the shoe. This can dramatically increase material costs, particularly when the upper is formed from high-grade leather. Second, the shoe includes a heel piece that is joined to the vamp piece along a substantially vertically extending stitch. At the same time, the vamp piece wraps entirely around the arch and forefoot regions seamed only along the bottom center of the shoe. Accordingly, the shape of the upper in the arch and forefoot regions is largely created by deforming the vamp piece on the last. This may lead to an undesirable amount of stretching of the leather, which can buckle, bulge or otherwise misshape the material. Third, the leather insole does not provide the level of support and stability desirable for certain activities.
The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention wherein a footwear construction with a xe2x80x9cwrap-aroundxe2x80x9d upper and separate heel and forefoot sole portions is provided with an upper and a bottom that are joined along a substantially horizontal seam. The horizontal seam is preferably disposed slightly above the sole and is preferably shaped to extend substantially parallel to the bottom line of the foot.
In a preferred embodiment, the horizontal seam includes an outwardly-turned moc stitch in the forefoot and heel regions, and an inwardly turned butt stitch in the arch region. The upper and bottom are preferably cemented along the stitching margin in the forefoot and heel regions to enhance the attachment and resist delamination of the stitched components.
In a more preferred embodiment, the sole includes separate forefoot and heel portions and a molded insole that is fitted within the upper atop the bottom bridging the forefoot and heel portions of the sole. The molded insole preferably extends through the heel and arch regions terminating in the forefoot region in approximately alignment with the ball of the foot. This provides the heel and arch regions with the desired level of stability while permitting the forefoot to bend and flex as desired.
The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an article of footwear. The method generally includes the steps of (1) forming the various pieces of the upper, (2) stitching the upper pieces to define a horizontally extending margin, (3) attaching a shank to a bottom leather piece, (4) stitching the bottom leather piece to the upper along the horizontal seam, (5) lasting the upper and bottom leather assembly, (6) setting the shape of the upper and bottom leather assembly, (7) forming the outsole from separate forefoot and heel portions, and (8) installing a molded insole and a footbed in the upper. The horizontal stitch is preferably formed with a moc stitch in the forefoot and heel regions and an interior stitch in the arch region.
The present invention provides an article of footwear that provides a desired aesthetic appeal while enhancing comfort and reducing the costs associated with the manufacture of conventional constructions of similar design. The horizontal seam permits the upper to be manufactured from smaller pieces of material, which can significantly reduce material costs, particularly when the upper is formed of leather. The horizontal seam further permits the upper to more closely follow the shape of the foot with reduced stretching of the upper on the last. This is further enhanced by a curved horizontal seam the follows the bottom line of the foot. The use of an outsole with separate forefoot and heel regions reduces the necessary amount of outsole materials. The molded insole permits the forefoot region of the shoe to flex as desired while also providing the arch and heel regions with support and stability.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.